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Fandom: Torchwood
Characters: Jack/Ianto
Words: 1,388
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Nope, don't own Torchwood
Spoilers: None
AN: Part of my loose Eight Things series. You don't need to have read any of the others though.
Ianto woke to movement in the bed.
“Mmm. Whaz going on?” he mumbled at the source of the disturbance.
“Teeny rift spike. Probably nothing. I’ll go check it out and I’ll be straight back.” Jack answered, stepping into his trousers.
“I’ll come with you.” Ianto muttered into his pillow, his eyes closing again of their own accord.
Jack laughed. “It’s fine, really. It looks too small for anything to have come through, but I should check. I’ll call you if I need back up.”
Ianto felt he should argue some more but an errant toe outside the duvet told him how cold it was and the darkness in the room told him how late/early it was and argument left him.
“’Kay.” Ianto rolled over and cracked open an eye, watching Jack dress. He watched as, nearly ready, Jack threaded his holster onto his trousers and reached for his Webley.
“Sure you’ll be okay?”
“I’m sure. Go back to sleep. I’ll call if I need you.” And with that he walked from the room. Ianto heard noises that indicated a coat being grabbed, a room being whirled around for whatever else he had left lying in places they didn’t belong, and finally the front door opening and clicking shut again.
Ianto closed his eyes to go back to sleep.
Within half an hour it was evident that sleep was eluding him and that now he was awake, he was just very much awake. And restless. Really restless.
With a sigh he stood before quickly reaching to grab the duvet and wrapping it around himself. He wandered through to the lounge, duvet trailing behind him like a bizarre cushioned train. Standing in the doorway he surveyed the room. The Christmas tree twinkled in the corner. Jack had put the lights back on before he left it seemed. Ianto smiled. He smiled even more when he noticed a stack of wrapped presents under the tree.
He wandered over and plopped himself down next to them. A note on top of the pile read; ‘I know there’s now way you’ve gone back to sleep, so why don’t you open these and you can thank me when I get back.’
Ianto grinned. He didn’t need to be told twice. He grabbed one of the parcels and tore into the paper. Sitting here alone in the half dark, pulling at paper took him back to his childhood. In his memory Rhi would come and join him any minute, tell him off for openening the presents in the middle of the night, then sit down and join him.
He rolled his eyes as the paper fell away, all thoughts of childhood gone. A remote controlled vibrating butt plug. Yes, thank you Jack. Merry Christmas.
A long slim parcel was next. Ianto had a pretty good idea what this one was, but he was no less pleased for knowing. His fingers caressed smooth silk of the deep purple tie as he pulled it from the box. The box had lain on top of another flatter present so he opened that next, again not surprised with the contents. The shirt was thick and luxurious, the fine material, clearly expensive. It was just a couple of shades lighter than the tie and the pair matched perfectly.
Ianto smiled as he looked at them. Jack may dress the same way everyday, but he really did have good taste. And he knew what he liked. And he knew what Ianto liked.
As he thought this Ianto idly reached forward for another small wrapped package. Tearing off the paper he revealed a small black jewellery box. Knowing he was unlikely to get anything like a necklace or bracelet from Jack, Ianto again had a pretty good idea what would be in the box. But a man like him in this line of work could never have too many pairs of cufflinks so he was pleased.
He opened the box and found himself laughing out loud. He pulled out one of the cuff links to get a better view of it. Each one was a mini set of handcuffs, so that threaded through the button hole there was a ‘bracelet’ on each side of the shirt cuff. He dropped the cufflink back into the box, a smile still in his face. They brought back some fun memories and he thought he could have a lot of fun wearing them for Jack.
He paused for a second, before moving onto the next present sitting under the tree for him. It was lumpy and bumpy and Ianto’s forehead wrinkled in confusion. Pulling off the paper he was surprised when a lump of coal, a Satsuma and a walnut fell into his lap. They made him smile again and shake his head.
This was so Jack. During his time on Earth he’d picked up little traditions, little rituals, but even after all these years sometimes he didn’t get it quite right. But the coal, Satsuma and walnut were a touching attempt at giving him a little tradition in a world that no longer stuck to the rules. And he was grateful.
The next present that he reached for was square and slim. It resembled a book which confused Ianto. Jack knew that Ianto loved books and that they were one of the few luxuries he allowed himself, but their taste in reading material was notoriously different and after that debacle Jack wouldn’t try buying books for him again.
He peeled the tape off the paper slowly, enjoying the build up of anticipation, not knowing quite what was waiting for him. He folded the paper slowly back to reveal a leather book cover. He let the paper fall and turned the book over in his hands. It was a journal, bound in leather, but a simple dark brown hide with no ostentation about it except the initials IJ pressed into the front. A leather chord ran around the book to fasten it shut, but was currently untied.
Ianto opened the book. There, scrawled across the front page in Jack’s unmistakable writing, was a message; ‘This time this is the last time I’ll open this without your permission.’
He grinned. Nice thought, but he didn’t believe it. Jack’s sense of curiosity was far too strong.
The last present was a larger box. Ianto weighed it up in his hands before he opened it. Then pulling the paper off he opened a non-descript cardboard box inside. He pulled out two matt metal objects that looked familiar, but like nothing he had seen before.
Turning the first one over in his hands he suddenly realised what it was. It was a small hand coffee bean grinder. On closer inspection it collapsed down on itself to make it compact enough to slip into a pocket. He grinned and picked up the second item. It was a basic cafitierre; just a metal tube with a lid that contained the press which would probably hold enough coffee for one cup. It also collapsed down through a sequence of twists and folds to also become pocket sized.
Ianto had a feeling that the technology wasn’t all Earth sources and knew that Jack must have pulled some strings to get it made. Just for him.
He folded all the spent wrapping paper up and put it in a pile to get rid of later and he arranged his presents back around the bottom of the tree.
Ianto sat back, leaning on the sofa and looked at his watch. Immediately he realised he had left it by the bed. He glanced over at the shelf above his desk where he kept a clock. He wrinkled his brow. Something was off, something was missing.
A small smile played on his lips and a warmth he hadn’t expected filled his body. Yesterday Gwen had given him a copy of a picture she had taken of him and Jack in the Hub. She had surprised them in a relaxed moment while they had shared a joke, laughter on both their faces as they looked at each other.
Ianto had put it on his shelf on a whim, leaning it against a candle stick he had left from another age. The photo was now gone.
And by taking it, Jack had given him the very best present he could.
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Date: 2010-12-26 08:39 pm (UTC)Lucky Ianto
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Date: 2010-12-27 12:48 am (UTC)Gxxx
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Date: 2011-01-07 01:32 am (UTC)Always good to see hints of Jack's sentimental side!
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Date: 2011-02-05 08:10 am (UTC)